25 years of Dubai Summer Surprises: How the festival has grown from giving away mobile phones to millions of dirhams

The first ever Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) back in 1998 saw mobile phones and thousands of dirhams given away as prizes. Over the past 25 years, raffle prizes for DSS have grown exponentially from gold to millions of dirhams in cash prizes, cars and even apartments.

Abdalla H. Al Ameeri, director of Raffles and Retail Promotions, Retail & Strategic Alliances, who is one of the original team members still working on the annual summer extravaganza, noted: “Over the past 25 years, DSS have collectively topped hundreds of millions of dirhams.”

He said: “DSS was launched as an innovative way to attract tourists and boost business during summer months. Since then, the challenge has always been to rise to growing consumer expectations. Raffles and prizes are always a huge part of any major event in Dubai. And we knew this had to be the case with DSS.”

Al Ameeri has seen the excitement and happiness of thousands of shoppers who have walked away with cash, gold, cars and other prizes.

He underlined there is great pride in seeing DSS grow year on year into the retail behemoth it has become. He recalled conversations in 1997, when the Dubai government was brainstorming for a summer-long event that would provide residents and visitors entertainment and shopping incentives during the hot spell.

“As DSS has evolved, so has the raffle element. Online shoppers are also now entered into draws. Now, over Dh20 million is given away each DSS as every time a shopper makes a purchase over a certain amount, they are entered into multiple DSS draws. So, I would say – if you are not in a hurry to make a purchase – wait until DSS,” he added.

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Diverse offerings

Each year, DSS works with more than 35 malls and hundreds of retail brands across the Dubai to ensure they offer something diverse to both residents and tourists.

Mohammed Feras Arayqat, director of Retail Registration, Retail & Strategic Alliances at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “It’s a priority for festival organisers DFRE to stay ahead of the curve and up to date with industry trends. We always have to stay tuned to both industry and consumer preferences as we are constantly adapting to deliver festivals that meet our objectives to support the retail industry in Dubai.

“As the festival has grown, so have the promotions,” said Arayqat, noting: “Previous shopping promotions which have gone down a storm have been the 12-Hour Flash Sales where shoppers have benefited from up to 90 per cent discounts at select Majid Al Futtaim Malls with DSS. The promotion also saw shoppers get the chance to become an instant Share points millionaire.”

“We always ensure that consumers have something new to look forward to each week of the festival, so we regularly add new promotional concepts so that people have a reason to keep on shopping,” he added.

More incredible surprises

Meanwhile, Suhaila Saqer Obaid Ghubash, DEFRE executive director for festival and events, shared: “Each year, months go into the planning of the event, to make sure the festival is bigger, better and fresher than ever before.”

“Just a few months after the close of one festival, organisers get to work on the next year’s offering, deconstructing the feedback from partners and making sure the festival is enjoyed by everyone from children to families, from Gen Zs to tourists, from visitors to residents,” she added.

“Dubai, as a destination, has contributed immensely to the growth of content in the festival. That’s why we hope DSS will continue to grow for another 25 years and support the continued success of Dubai’s economy.”